AC-T2-208 Academic · Task 2 · beginner · 40 min · 250+ words Discuss Both Views Technology

Self-Checkout Machines in Supermarkets

The question

Many supermarkets now provide self-checkout machines so that customers can scan and pay for their own shopping instead of queuing for a cashier. Do the advantages of this change outweigh the disadvantages? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Instructions

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. • Discuss both the advantages and the disadvantages with clear examples. • Give a clear answer to the question, weighing one side against the other. • Support your judgement with reasons. • Organise your ideas into clear paragraphs and use cohesive devices.

How to approach this discuss both views question

A discuss-both-views essay asks you to explain two opinions fairly and then give your own.

Introduce both views and say you will discuss them.
Paragraph 1: the first view with reasons and an example.
Paragraph 2: the second view with reasons and an example.
State your own opinion clearly (in the introduction or conclusion) and keep it consistent.

How to plan this answer

Structure

Introduction: paraphrase the arrival of self-checkout machines and state whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Body 1: the advantages, such as shorter queues, customer control over the pace of shopping and lower costs for the store.
Body 2: the disadvantages, such as theft, job losses for cashiers, and the difficulty some older or disabled customers have with the machines.
Body 3 (optional): a practical improvement, such as staffed help points or limits on the number of items per machine.
Conclusion: give a clear answer to the question and state which side you believe is stronger.

Idea bank

Customers can avoid long queues at busy times, which saves time for people with short shopping lists who only need a few items.
Supermarkets can run fewer checkouts with staff, which lowers labour costs and may help keep prices competitive.
Losses from theft and scanning errors can rise at self-checkouts, which can reduce the savings that stores expect.
Cashier roles are often held by part-time workers, and the loss of these roles can affect people who rely on flexible work.
Older customers and those with limited vision may find the screens confusing, which can leave them waiting for help.
Staffed help points that supervise several machines can reduce theft and assist customers, so the savings are partly kept.

Useful vocabulary

self-checkout: Self-checkout machines allow shoppers to scan and pay for their own items.
queuing: Customers no longer have to spend long periods queuing at the till.
shrinkage: Shrinkage, the retail term for losses from theft and error, can rise at self-service tills.
labour costs: Fewer staff at the tills can reduce labour costs for the store.
unexpected item in the bagging area: An unexpected item in the bagging area can stop the machine until a member of staff arrives.
job losses: Job losses among cashiers are a concern for communities that rely on local retail work.
supervised: Machines that are supervised by staff are less prone to theft.
in practice: In practice, the savings depend on how often customers need help.
the advantages outweigh: The advantages outweigh the disadvantages only if help is always available.
a trade-off: There is a trade-off between lower costs and a more personal service.

Common mistakes

Presenting self-checkout as simply a time-saving device, without considering the cost to the store of theft and errors.
Writing about job losses in general terms without explaining which roles are affected, such as part-time cashiers.
Failing to explain why older or disabled customers find the machines difficult, which leaves the disadvantages unsupported.
Giving a conclusion that does not say which side is stronger, which leaves the question of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages unanswered.
Using a vague improvement such as 'stores should improve the machines' without saying what kind of improvement would help.

Examiner tip: Weigh the savings to the store against the cost to shoppers and workers, and end with a clear view on which side is stronger.

Model answers by band score

Written for this question to show what changes from one band to the next. Try the task yourself first, then compare.

Band 6 answer

Nowadays many supermarkets have self-checkout machines, where customers scan and pay for the shopping by themselves. In my opinion, the advantages of this change are bigger than the disadvantages, but there are some problems too. The first advantage is that the customers do not need to wait in a long queue. When I go to the supermarket after work, there are many people at the cashiers, and it take a lot of time. With the self-checkout machines I can pay quickly if I have only a few things. Also, the supermarket can save money because it need less staff, and then the prices can be lower for the customers. However, there are also some disadvantages. Firstly, some people, especially old people, do not know how to use the machines, so they feel stressed and need help. Secondly, the machines often make mistakes. For example, they say 'unexpected item in the bagging area' and the customer must wait for a worker to come. This is more slow than the cashier. Another problem is that many cashiers will lose their jobs because the machines are doing their work, and this is not good for the society. Also, some customers do not pay for all the goods and steal, because nobody is watching them closely. I think this is a serious problem for the shops, because they lose money every day and then they must make the prices higher for everybody. In conclusion, I think the advantages are more important than the disadvantages. The machines are quick and cheaper, and the problems can be solved if the supermarkets keep some staff to help people. So self-checkout machines are a good idea for the supermarkets.

Why this is band 6

Answers the question with a clear position (advantages outweigh disadvantages) and covers both sides with simple examples such as the 'unexpected item in the bagging area' message.
Ideas are relevant but only partly developed; the paragraph about theft is a single unsupported sentence, and the weighing in the conclusion is brief.
Vocabulary is limited and repeated ('people', 'machines', 'problems') and errors are noticeable ('it take', 'more slow', 'the society') but do not block meaning.
Band 7 would develop each point with explanation and sustain a clearer weighing of the two sides, using a wider range of structures with fewer errors.

Band 7 answer

Many supermarkets have replaced some of their cashiers with self-checkout machines. Although this change has genuine drawbacks, I believe that its advantages outweigh them. The main advantage is speed and convenience. Customers who buy only a few items can avoid long queues and leave within minutes, which is especially valuable during the evening rush, when many people want to get home after work. Supermarkets also benefit, because machines reduce labour costs and allow a single employee to supervise several tills, and these savings can be passed on to shoppers through lower prices. In addition, the machines let shoppers pack their goods in their own way, which many people prefer. On the other hand, there are real disadvantages. Self-checkouts regularly fail, for example when they cannot recognise a product or detect a bag, and the customer has to wait for an assistant, which can be more frustrating than a normal queue. Older people and those with disabilities may also find the screens difficult to use. A further concern is the loss of jobs for cashiers, along with an increase in theft, since some customers deliberately avoid scanning items. Nevertheless, I think these problems can be reduced. Staff can be redeployed to help customers and to monitor the machines, and shops can keep several traditional tills for people who need them. Many large supermarkets already do this, and in my experience shoppers simply choose whichever option suits them on the day, so neither system is wasted. In conclusion, although self-checkouts create some difficulties, the time saved and the lower costs are more significant, provided that supermarkets continue to offer human assistance.

Why this is band 7

Clear position given in the introduction and consistently supported, with a separate paragraph for each side and a paragraph that weighs them.
Ideas are developed with explanations ('machines reduce labour costs ... savings can be passed on') and specific examples such as unrecognised products and bags.
Good range of vocabulary and cohesion ('On the other hand', 'Nevertheless', 'provided that') with only slight overgeneralisation ('they report that customers choose').
Band 8 would support the weighing with more precise, specific evidence and use more flexible, natural phrasing.

Band 8 answer

Self-checkout machines are now a familiar sight in supermarkets. While they bring some real problems, I believe that the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks. The most obvious advantage is efficiency. A shopper who buys a handful of items no longer needs to join a queue behind someone with a full trolley, and busy supermarkets can serve more customers without opening extra tills. For retailers, the machines lower labour costs, a saving that can be reflected in prices. Some customers also appreciate the sense of control, since they can pack their own bags at their own speed and avoid unnecessary conversation, which suits shoppers in a hurry. The disadvantages, however, are not trivial. Machines often misread items or flag unexpected weights, leaving shoppers stranded until an assistant arrives, and people who are elderly or unfamiliar with technology can find the process intimidating. There is also a social cost: as self-service spreads, cashier jobs disappear, and the human contact that matters to lonely customers is lost. Finally, retailers report higher rates of theft, whether deliberate or accidental. Yet these weaknesses are largely matters of design and staffing rather than flaws in the idea itself. Supermarkets that keep a few staffed tills and assign employees to supervise the machines retain most of the savings while still serving customers who need help. Moreover, the staff redeployed from tills can take on more varied roles, such as online order picking, which many shops now need as home delivery grows. On balance, therefore, self-checkouts are a sensible development, provided they supplement human service rather than replace it altogether.

Why this is band 8

The position is clear and the argument is well structured: advantages, disadvantages, then a paragraph explaining why the disadvantages are manageable.
Ideas are well developed and specific ('stranded until an assistant arrives', 'online order picking'), and the weighing is logical rather than a list.
Vocabulary is precise ('stranded', 'intimidating', 'supplement') and the cohesion is natural, with rare errors.
Band 9 would add the most persuasive example or evidence to the weighing paragraph and avoid the slight generality of 'retailers report'.

Band 9 answer

Self-checkout machines have spread rapidly through supermarkets. Although they carry genuine costs, I believe their advantages outweigh them, provided they supplement human service rather than replace it. The principal benefit is time. A shopper buying a handful of items no longer has to wait behind a full trolley, and a store can serve more people at peak hours without opening additional tills. Retailers gain too: one employee can supervise several machines, and these savings can, in a competitive market, be reflected in lower prices. Many customers also value the control that self-service offers, packing in their own order and at their own pace. The drawbacks are nonetheless substantial. Machines routinely misread items or flag phantom weights, leaving shoppers stranded until help arrives, and older or less technologically confident customers can find the process intimidating. There is also a social cost. Each machine removes a job, and for lonely or isolated customers a brief chat with a cashier may be the only conversation of the day. Retailers further report higher losses to theft, whether deliberate or accidental. Yet these problems stem largely from how the technology is deployed, not from the idea itself. Supermarkets that keep a few staffed tills and station employees beside the machines retain most of the savings while still serving those who need assistance. The staff freed from tills can, moreover, be redeployed to more varied work such as picking online orders, which turns a threat to jobs into a change in them. On balance, self-checkouts are a worthwhile innovation, so long as convenience for some customers is not bought at the expense of service for others.

Why this is band 9

Position is stated precisely in the introduction and carried through the conclusion, with a nuanced condition ('provided they supplement human service').
Ideas are fully developed and well chosen, including the less obvious social cost for isolated customers, and the third paragraph turns the weighing into an argument.
Language is natural, sophisticated and accurate ('phantom weights', 'stem largely from how the technology is deployed') with no errors.
Cohesion relies on logical progression rather than mechanical connectors, and the concluding sentence is memorable and consistent.

Band levels are our estimate against the public IELTS criteria; they are not official scores.

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